In September 2007, only nine months after his triumphant return to office as prime minister of Saint Lucia following his United Workers Party’s (UWP) shocking defeat of the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) in the December 2006 general election, Sir John Compton died at age 82. Earlier in the year he had suffered a series of strokes that left him partially paralyzed, and he had received treatment in the U.S. and Martinique. Stephenson King, who acted for Compton following his incapacitation, took over as prime minister.

Saint Lucia’s new prime minister, Stephenson King, addresses the UN General Assembly on September …

Emmanuel Dunand—AFP/Getty Images

The UWP government in April made the controversial decision to reestablish diplomatic relations with Taiwan, much to the annoyance of China. The former SLP government had switched diplomatic recognition to China in the mid-1990s, after a postindependence period during which Taiwan was the preferred choice. The UWP insisted that it could recognize both Beijing and Taiwan, but a Chinese spokesman rejected this option.

Acting Prime Minister King announced in July that a change of constitutional status for Saint Lucia—with a nonexecutive president to replace the queen of England as titular head of state—was to be examined as part of a general governance review.

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April 29, 1925 Canouan island, British Windward Islands [now in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines] Sept. 7, 2007 Castries, Saint Lucia Saint Lucian politician who was instrumental in negotiating the independence (1979) of Saint Lucia from Britain and served three times as prime minister (1979,...